Rites of Passage
by daysandweeks
Summary: Katie Bell has a hickey and her friends are determined to find out who gave it to her, no matter how much teasing is required. Their first guess? A certain seventh year Quidditch captain...


**A/N:** _Written for PanicAttack757's Love Bite Challenge over at HPFC._

Rites of Passage

Katie Bell absolutely hated being the youngest in her main circle of friends.

Obviously, the role came with some perks. The boys were very protective of her, and the girls always gave her all sorts of good advice. However, at the same time there were plenty of disadvantages to being the youngest. Katie hadn't really been that great of friends with Angelina, Alicia, Fred, George, and Oliver until her second year, but even then the trouble had started—the other five would go to Hogsmeade on the weekends while Katie was left at Hogwarts. Of course, this forced her to make other friends, which would be handy once her group graduated, but she still was incredibly jealous.

And now, during the final week of the school year, Katie faced her biggest dilemma yet. Katie had finished up all of the few exams she had this year, but her close friends were taking their O.W.L.s, or, in Oliver's case, N.E.W.T.s, and Katie was left all alone for the afternoon for the third day in a row.

And so, while the rest of Hogwarts completed exams or sunbathed outside, Katie sat in the Gryffindor common room, frowning and staring out the window.

It was at half-past two that the first of her friends entered the common room, fresh from his exam. Katie whirled around to see George and was extremely surprised to see him without Fred. The twins generally came and went together, but it appeared that George was either better at Transfiguration or had given up on it, leaving Fred behind. "How was it?" Katie asked, staring across the room at the tall, freckled boy before her.

"Not so bad," George said, stuffing his hands in his pockets and crossing the room. He plopped down beside her on the couch where she sat. He stretched and in the middle of a yawn stopped abruptly, sat up straight, and got a very strange look in his eyes. He leaned closer to Katie, who, perplexed, shifted away from him. "Hold on a moment," George murmured, "is that…Katie Bell, is that a hickey?"

Katie felt her eyes grow wide and her cheeks turn red. Embarrassed, she clamped a hand across the right side of her nick, which George was staring at intently. _Oh no_, she thought to herself. Her friend Leanne had taught her a spell ages ago that was supposed to make hickeys fade away, at least for twelve hours, but this was Katie's first time every using it as she'd never had a hickey before. _Oh no, I must have performed the charm wrong!_

George began laughing and shaking his head. "Who's it from then, Katie?"

Katie glared at George. "That's none of your business," she murmured, blushing furiously.

It was then that Alicia entered the common room, a grin on her face. "I'm sure I got at least an Exceeds Expectations!" she announced, plopping down on Katie's other side. Noticing that Katie was beet red and that George was still laughing, Alicia smirked and said, "Alright, what am I missing?"

Katie simply rolled her eyes. She didn't think it would matter that much if George gave away her secret to Alicia, but she hoped that she could persuade the both of them to keep their mouth shut around anyone else. However, even if she could, she was sure that George could convey the message to his twin by some other means. She shuddered at the thought of both of the twins knowing that she'd kissed someone, especially someone who had left his mark in such an obvious way. There was sure to be lots of teasing and possibly pranks to follow.

"Katie has a hickey," George declared, leaning forward to look Alicia in the eyes.

Alicia's eyes grew wide and her jaw dropped. "Oh my God, Katie! Who have you been kissing?!" She leaned forward as well, and soon a grin made its way to her face. She pulled her legs up onto the couch and sat cross-legged, apparently ready for some girl talk.

"Yes, do tell!" Katie turned to her right to see George mimicking Alicia and batting his eyelashes. "Ooh! And we can paint our nails while we're at it!"

"Shut up, George!" Alicia said with a laugh, pulling a pillow from behind her and tossing it in George's direction. Though Alicia often threw very good passes during Quidditch, her throw managed to land on the floor by George's feet.

George scoffed. "What a wonderful toss, Spinnet. It's no wonder Wood keeps you around on this team."

The room grew very quiet and Katie knew her face had heated up once more.

"Oh my God," Alicia muttered. "It was Oliver!"

Katie refused to look at either of her friends and instead stared at the crimson and gold pillow resting on the floor. Therefore, she could not see George's jaw drop, and though she could hear Alicia giggle, she could not see the scandalized smile on her face. Nor did she see Angelina Johnson stroll into the room.

She did, however, hear George announce, "Katie has been snogging Oliver Wood!"

"What's this?!" Katie's head snapped up upon hearing Angelina's voice, and she was greeted by a rather bemused expression. "When did this happen, Katie?"

Katie remained silent, wishing her friends were less nosy. "She hasn't admitted to it yet," Alicia warned, throwing a hand out in the air. "Perhaps we're mistaken."

George leaned back on the couch and snickered. "Oh, but who else could it be. What other boys does Katie talk to?" he mused aloud. "Me, who I know for a fact Katie has not been kissing…though if you'd like to change that…"

"George!" Katie exclaimed, and she couldn't help but laugh and swat at him playfully.

George pushed her away in an equally jovial manner. "Relax, Bell. You're like a baby sister to me." An evil glimmer appeared in his eye as he said, "Which is exactly why I'd like to know who gave you that hickey, so I can throttle them, or at least engage in a proper talk." Katie rolled her eyes and George continued with his list. "Then there's Fred—"

"What about me?" Fred waltzed into the common room. "McGonagall gets tougher every year, I swear. Though, like George and I have said before…" He waited for his twin to finish his comment, as he so often did, before sidling up alongside Angelina. "Well, George? Remember? We should get at least an Exceeds Expectations just for showing up!"

"George is a bit distracted, Fred," Angelina told him, turning her head to the side. "He's trying to come up with a list of boys that could have given Katie that hickey."

Fred's eyes grew wide and he ran over to Katie. He turned her head to get a proper view of her neck. "Well, I'll be damned…" he murmured. Then, he turned to George and said, "Well, whose neck is it that we have to wring?"

"Well we know it wasn't you," George noted.

"And we know it wasn't me," Fred continued. Katie giggled at their antics.

Alicia piped up from beside Katie. "We're fairly certain that it was Oliver Wood who…err, _left his mark_ on Katie."

Fred shuddered. "What is he, a dog?" he asked. Then, turning to Katie, he added, "He didn't pee on you, did he?"

"Ew!" Katie exclaimed before letting out a short laugh.

Angelina shrugged and sat down at the floor, reaching out for the fallen pillow before clutching it to her chest. "Well, it's got to be Wood. The only other boy I've ever seen Katie talk to is that McLaggen fellow, and I _know_ he is far below Katie's standards." When Katie didn't respond, a fearful look appeared in Angelina's dark eyes. "It wasn't him, was it?"

Katie shook her head. "Of course not! I thought you knew me better, Angelina!"

Alicia leaned back against the arm of the couch, stretching her legs out across Katie's lap. "So it's got to be Oliver then. That only makes sense. Angelina and I have even noted the way he looks at you."

Katie felt her heard leap at the idea. It was true—she had shared a snogging session with Oliver Wood the night before. She'd been finishing up her last essay of the year in the library and he'd been studying for his Charms N.E.W.T. Though he'd already been drafted by Puddlemere United, his status as an actual teammate was pending and he had to receive at least Acceptables on all of his N.E.W.T.s. Oliver, being the Quidditch fanatic that he was, had spent the past few weeks in the library studying more often than he ever had before. If he had it his way, he would get Outstandings on everything, just to be safe.

Katie had noticed Oliver upon entering the library, and it was clear that he'd been there for some time already. When it was almost time to leave, Katie noticed that she would need one final book to finish her essay and scurried towards the bookshelves, searching desperately due to the time constraint. She found the book in seconds but once she turned around to return to her items she was apprehended by Oliver, who stood in her path. Surprised, Katie nearly let out a scream, which caused Oliver to smirk in a way that made Katie's heart beat very quickly. She'd had a crush on him for some time, though she had never said much as the boy was older and she knew how much it took for him to see his Quidditch team as friends. While hanging out with the group he was often known to change the subject, spur of the moment, to something Quidditch-related. She assumed it would be near impossible for him to see her as more than a friend.

"I can't believe it's my last year," Oliver said with a sigh, leaning up against a one of the two bookshelves they stood between.

"I know," Katie replied with a gulp.

Inevitably, Oliver made sure their conversation touched on Quidditch. "Angelina should make a good captain I should think." He gazed at the floor, pensive, before turning his gaze to Katie. "Then I suspect Potter will be captain once she graduates, unless you have any interest."

Katie shook her head. "Oh no, not me. I don't think I could ever fill your footsteps."

Oliver smiled. Then, in quite an off-hand tone, he murmured, "You know, I really like you Katie."

Katie wasn't sure what to think. Did he mean he liked her a lot as a friend? Or as more than that. Looking at the floor, she replied, "Well, I, um…I like you too, Oliver…"

She soon knew what his words meant, though, when he leaned forward and kissed her.

And now Katie sat with her friends, blushing furiously as the group mused over her non-relationship with Oliver Wood.

"He's a bit old for her," Fred said with a shrug.

"Yes," George noted, "and definitely too much older for us to throttle."

"Or have a proper talk with," Fred added.

"_I_ think it's about time!" Angelina cried.

"About time for what?" Katie's head snapped up once more at the sound of Oliver's deep voice. He stood at the portrait hole, a confused look on his face.

Alicia attempted to save Katie before the twins had a chance to speak. "How was your exam, Oliver?"

Oliver shrugged, walking towards the group with his usual swagger and plopping down on an arm chair opposite them. He met Katie's gaze and she looked away, embarrassed, but couldn't help but smile. "I studied enough, so I'm sure I passed, but I still wonder what made me decide to continue with Ancient Runes."

"You know," Fred declared, "it's a shame that Hogwarts doesn't teach any _modern_ languages. Take French, for example."

"French kissing, that is," George finished, pointing a finger in the air. Alicia and Angelina giggled.

"Er, what?" Oliver asked, staring at the twins.

"Though I'd say Oliver is more a…man of science than a man of words, Fred," George continued.

Fred nodded. "Yes. It's a shame Hogwarts doesn't teach anatomy as well."

"And biology!" George added. "You know, the birds and the bees…"

"…though I suppose Oliver has the opportunity to take such lessons on the side. Perhaps with a certain girl with dirty blonde hair."

Katie turned crimson, completely embarrassed. Sometimes she completely hated the Weasley twins.

"What are you two going on about?" Oliver grumbled. Katie chanced a glance up at him, and she saw that he was leaning back in his chair, red, though a bit less than she was, and staring at the floor, where the pillow had been before Angelina grabbed it. She wondered if he regretted kissing her last night or if he was just nervous and didn't like being teased, like her. But no, Oliver _never_ got nervous. Even during important matches he always kept a level head.

Angelina interrupted the awkward silence by saying, "Katie has a hickey, Oliver. And umm…"

"It's kind of obvious who it's from," Alicia filled in.

Oliver looked up from the floor and met Katie's glance. He smiled at her, if not a bit awkwardly, and she couldn't help but grin back. "Yeah well," he said, but didn't seem to know how to finish the sentence and threw his hands up in the air, the symbol of defeat. Then a strange look appeared on his face and he positioned his hands so that they were on his knees. "Though, hold on a minute…" He gestured between the twins. "You two just spent a good couple of minutes here teasing me. I can't _imagine_ what hell you've been putting Katie through before I got here."

Katie giggled, thankful that _someone_ was defending her.

"Why, no hell at all!" George exclaimed.

"He's right! Girls?" He turned to look at Katie, Angelina, and Alicia, who just shook their heads.

Oliver shook his head. "I know better than to trust you two," he said, but Katie saw the smile on his face, a smile she rarely saw. It was true that Oliver usually had a serious expression on his face.

Before he had time to admonish the twins, though, George stood up from the couch and said, "Well, then, shall we all head to the Great Hall and then outside?"

"I'm famished," Fred responded, standing up as well, "and after being in those dusty rooms all day…"

"…fresh air would be great," his twin finished.

Alicia and Angelina stood up as well, Angelina placing the pillow on the couch moments later. Oliver followed suit and took a step towards Katie, offering his hand to her. She took it and he pulled her up from her seat. She glared at the twins, who made no comments, though Alicia murmured a small, "Awww."

The group headed down to the Great Hall, and Katie was surprised when Oliver held her hand the entire way and even during the meal. Afterwards, they all headed outside, towards the lake. Though the others ran ahead, Oliver and Katie, who had not spoken a word to each other the entire afternoon, lingered behind. "I thought you said you knew the spell to make it go away," Oliver murmured, smirking down at Katie.

Katie shrugged. "I _thought_ I did, but I guess I need more practice."

Oliver dropped her hand and fished around in his pocket. "If you want, I could give it a try." He didn't mention whether he'd had to cast the spell before, and Katie was thankful for that, as she knew Oliver, at eighteen, had surely kissed other girls—she just didn't want to know who those other girls were.

He found his wand and extracted it from his pocket before placing the tip of it along Katie's neck. He seemed prepared to say the charm when Katie put a hand out. "No," she commanded. "Don't."

"And why's that?" Oliver asked, perplexed. "Don't you trust me? I promise, I definitely got at least an Exceeds Expectations on my Charms N.E.W.T."

Katie giggled, smiling up at the tall boy beside her. "It's not that I don't trust you, Oliver," she reassured him. "It's just…" She brought a hand up to the mark on her neck and rubbed at it, thoughtfully. Oliver pocketed his wand, watching her with a humorous expression on his handsome face. She glanced towards their group of friends who sat by the lake, the girls with the blouses of their school uniforms rolled up in a makeshift attempt to sunbathe. The twins were irritating them by standing in ways to cast shadows, blocking the sun from the girls.

"Did they tease you a lot?" Oliver asked, following Katie's gaze.

Katie chuckled before turning to look at Oliver. When she spoke, he returned his eyes to her. "Yes," she stated, a broad smile on her face. "Yes, they did, but that's their jobs as friends, I think," she continued. "And what do you think Muggles do when they have…erm…hickeys on them?"

Oliver shrugged. "Get teased quite a lot, I should imagine," he said with a laugh.

Katie smiled even more, surprised by the flutter in her heart at the sound of Oliver's deep laugh. "Exactly," she agreed. "So if you think about it, this is really just a rite of passage for us. Just like…well, I don't know, other things we have to do."

"First date," Oliver suggested. "It's a shame the school year's almost out, else we could've gone to Hogsmeade."

Katie blushed, realizing that Oliver was viewing her as his girlfriend. Therefore, somewhat under her breath, she continued by listing, "Actually asking the girl out, for starters."

Oliver threw his head back. "Oh…that was stupid of me." Looking back at her, he took both of Katie's hands in his and said, "Katie Bell, will you go out with me?"

Laughing at the formality of his query, Katie nodded and said, "Yes. Yes, I would love to."

He dropped one of her hands but held fast to the one closest to him before leading her down towards the lake and their friends. When they reached them, the group greeted them, Angelina and Alicia complaining about the twins' antics.

Oliver and Katie sat down along the shores of the lake beside Angelina and Alicia. They were quiet for a moment, and Katie felt very content simply holding Oliver's hand and staring out at the lake. It was not until a few minutes passed that Oliver whispered, "I've thought of another rite of passage."

"What's that?" Katie asked, turning to face him. His hair looked like copper in the setting sun.

A smile played across Oliver's lips and he leaned in closer towards her. "Kissing you in front of our friends." And with that, he closed the gap between them, and Katie remembered that there were feelings far more wonderful than the pleasurable than the feeling of watching the lake at sunset. And these feelings, she knew, were commonplace and ordinary, and perhaps, if viewed from the perspective of another, a bit embarrassing, but equally intimidating and new—just like any other rite of passage


End file.
